A. Field of Invention
Embodiments are directed to devices, methods, and systems relating to auscultation training.
B. Description of the Related Art
Auscultation is the act of listening to sounds within the body as a method of diagnosis. A stethoscope is an example of an auscultation device that is used in the medical field to listen to internal sounds in the human body, such as for example heart sounds, breathing (breath sounds), intestinal noises, and blood flow in arteries and veins. Acoustic stethoscopes operate on the transmission of sound from a headpiece, via air-filled hollow tubes, to a listener's ears. The headpiece may include a diaphragm that can be placed against a human body for sensing sound. Body sounds vibrate the diaphragm, creating acoustic pressure waves that travel through the tubing to the listener's ears.
One common medical examination method, referred to as percussion examination (which includes variants such as routine auscultatory percussion, coin percussion, or sound transmission through bone), comprises propagating an acoustic wave through a part of the body using mild tap-like impacts, such as may be produced by the fingers, and listening to the sound produced in the body. An acoustic wave produced in this way changes resonance according to the size and density of internal structures. This type of examination is often used, for instance, in examining the chest or back.
Using a stethoscope or other auscultation device to diagnose a patient requires training in detecting and identifying abnormal sounds. Standardized patients are a valuable training tool in medical education and have been extensively researched. Though standardized patients give students one-on-one interaction with real human subjects, most standardized patients do not present abnormal symptoms. As a result, simulators and mannequins are often used to train or test students on auscultation devices, such as stethoscopes. Auscultation training mannequins may include a sound generating device embedded within the body of the mannequin to produce sounds consistent with an abnormal physical condition, which students must detect and identify.
Unfortunately, the state of the art still has many shortcomings. Some embodiments differ from the current state of the art, and may provide one or more improvements.